Explore guide
Compare French and colonial knots
French knots use wraps; colonial knots use a different figure-eight thread path. Practice each path separately instead of adding tension to compensate for a loose knot.
Related lessons and tools
French knots use wraps; colonial knots use a different figure-eight thread path. Practice each path separately instead of adding tension to compensate for a loose knot.
Before you start
Prepare a small offcut of the intended ground with the intended needle and thread. Mark the practice area lightly and support the fabric without stretching its grain.
How to do it
- French knot: bring the thread up, wrap it once or twice around the needle and hold the wraps near the ground. Insert very close to, but not into, the exit hole; slide the wraps down and draw the needle through while controlling the working thread.
- Stop when the knot sits on the surface. More wraps are not a cure for a knot that pulls through. For a colonial knot, use the linked figure-eight method; do not call a wrapped French knot colonial.
Try this example
Make five knots of each type with the same thread. Keep the exit and return holes close but distinct where the ground requires it; compare size and anchoring.
Check your result
- Release the frame and inspect front and reverse. The thread should lie as intended without distorting the ground; shorten a stitch or change the sample before pulling harder.
- Coverage and tension depend on the actual ground, thread and stitch length. A diagram shows the route, not a universal thread quantity or tension setting.
Sources
- rsnstitchbank.org: colonial knot stitch
- rsnstitchbank.org: french knot
- rsnstitchbank.org: running stitch
